Anyone volunteered overseas and want to share their experience? I'm looking for information on volunteering internationally and am wondering how people found their program or, if they went on their own, how they determined where to go and what to do. Thanks! (FYI - I work for Idealist but am looking as an independent volunteer. That said, I'd love to add worthwhile resources to Idealist's international vol section.) :)

Erin,

I worked with Atlas Corps this past fall. They are a new organization that takes nonprofit professionals from developing countries and brings them to the US to volunteer for a year in a similar organization. They are in Colombia, India & DC currently. Soon, they will expand to more countries.

I already have provided info to several potential volunteers considering a stint in Bogota.

I personally know the founder and HIGHLY recommend checking out the volunteer opportunities in one of their current (or future) locations. http://www.atlascorps.org
If one of the volunteer opportunities doesn't strike a cord, definitely connect with Scott or Kimi and brainstorm another way you could help - in any location.

All the best,
Kristy

Erin,

I will be volunteering with Awaiting Angels in Cusco, Peru. I will be volunteering August 4 - 18, 2007. I actually found this organization through Idealist.org. I will be happy to tell you all about my experience once I return.

I am also trying to find more ways to raise money for the trip. Do you have any suggestions? There are three people going including myself.

Take Care,
Rose

Thanks for your post, Rose - I'd love to hear about your experience in Cusco when you return!

In terms of raising funds, I found two sources to check out:
1) The International Volunteer Programs Association offers this intro to fundraising: http://www.volunteerinternational.org/index-fund2.htm
2) Transitions Abroad has a number of articles providing tips and advice for volunteering internationally: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/volunteer/index.shtml#VolunteerWorkAbroadAdvisor

I hope this helps...good luck and safe travels!

Erin

I am starting my search for international volunteer opportunities as well Erin. I have found a few on the Idealist site, but I'm wondering how do you know if an organization is reputable? As a woman who would be travelling alone, I always worry about safety. Is there a way to check an organization to make sure it is reputable and safe to work with them?

Also, is it common for organizations to charge fees to volunteers? I guess I am only familiar with government sponsored programs, so now that I am looking at NGOs it just seems odd to charge a volunteer for their service. Is this commonplace?

Hey Raquel - great questions. A lot of international volunteerism programs do charge fees although my understanding is that this is generally to cover costs of setting up international exchange rather than to make a profit. Usually if you volunteer directly with an international NGO (instead of going through a US-based program) there should be little or no cost. The caveat is that you'd need to do all the footwork of setting it up yourself.

In terms of credibility, I know exactly what you mean. I too often travel alone and am always hyperaware of safety issues. One way to check out credibility is to go through an oversight body like the International Volunteer Programs Association (www.volunteerinternational.org). There are also a number of things you can do yourself to research an organization, including the steps below; please note though that these are just my suggestions and by no means are foolproof. I guess that's where the fee comes back in - going with a recognized, reputable program may be more expensive but covers more issues of credibility. I hope this helps!

Erin

Learn more about the program
o Visit their website – be thorough
o Talk to friends and friends of friends to see if anyone has experience with this program
o Talk to someone at your school, job, place of worship, etc.
o Do a Google search – articles, press clippings, people’s blogs and online chatter
o See if they are affiliated with an organization you know and trust
o Look for alumni groups of the program
o Talk to someone there – by phone, email, or in person; Ask for references

Getting down to the nitty gritty: What you need to ask
o Where is the project?
o What tasks will I be doing?
o What are the costs?
 What is included in these costs (housing, transportation, insurance, etc)
o What resources are available to me?
o Language learning opportunities / Will there be a translator?
o Timeline for the project / plan to sustain project after volunteer leaves
o Why are international volunteers needed for this work? (Make sure they know the benefit to you); Do they need what I’m bringing?
o Is there time available to travel? Free days? Planned excursions?
o What is the work environment like?
o Who will I be working with? A team? A manager?
o Is Housing provided?
 If yes, what are the details (sharing a room, location of housing, type of facilities, etc.)
 If not, how do I set up housing (in advance or when I arrive, resources to assist with this process, expected costs, etc.)
o Are there security concerns? Health concerns?
o How will I get to and from housing / volunteer site?

Get it in writing (once you’ve picked a program)
Be sure to protect your information to avoid issues of identity fraud (social security, bank account, etc.)

I think individuals should be very honest with themselves. I work at The Girls Institute of Science & Technology in Agogo, Ghana. The school is located in a rural village about 3 hours from Accra. We find it very difficult to attract volunteers that are committed to the work that is needed. Many volunteers come with their own agendas of "what they feel is best for the village or community" vs. what the community/village needs. For an example, we receive a number of inquiries about volunteers teaching English. However, this particular community, speaks English better than most Americans.

In Ghana, I also work at a very popular radio station. We get thousands of requests for service learning projects. Thru my role there, I supervise many of the interns, volunteers, attachments, study abroad students, etc. that come from all over the world. I've found that many of them are truly tourists..that are bored by traditional tour packages.

Based on my experiences, I've found that many of the volunteer programs that exist in Ghana and for Africa; really cater to Volunteer Tourism. Basically, these inviduals are tourists that want to make a difference but without a lot of effort. This doesn't negate the fact that one can have a positive and meaningful experience.

One suggestion is for Idealist.org to better classify volunteer opportunities. So that a person knows exactly what they are facing. For an example, lately we've been using the term "Grit & Grimey" to let people know that an individual will not have access to a hot shower, ( well, I guess they can heat the water on an open fire) that you really will live in the village and become a family member just as if you were born there, that you have a 100% chance of having diarrhea...but it's not the end of the world.

Just a suggestion.......Idealist.org ROCKs!!!

Awesome post, Akosua! I'd love to chat more with you about the experiences NGOs have with international volunteers, especially since part of my work at Idealist is to pull together resources and things-to-consider for potential volunteers.

In other news to everyone on this thread, if you have stories to share from volunteering in East Asia, the following link is a book that is currently being written on the topic: http://www.beyondservice.org/. Thanks all!

Hello,

My name is Charles and I worked as a Registered Nurse for 20 years in 5 countries. I live in Canada and have recently made the decision to volunteer internationally but do not know where to start. I recently left nurses to pursue other career opporutunities but safe to say, this was not my passion. I have tremendous experience in many areas of healthcare, from Pediatric emergency, oncology to Adult trauma centres worldwide. My true passion and calling would be to work the remainder of my years volunteering my expertise internationally to help others in need. This of course would not be possible as I'm not a wealthy man! Like many wealthy individuals such as Hollywood stars, they do wonderful things worldwide because they can afford to do it, never have to worry about money. This is my true calling and I know it. I have so much to offer, just can't afford to do it. Any suggestions?

Charles